Middle manager stresses when HR tell him his employees won't be paid on public holidays: 'They're being punished for being responsible'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jan 24, 2026 9:00 AM EST

Management is far from an easy job when bad news has to be broken.

Pretty much the entirety of the job description in any supervisory role is that it requires you to lead the employees that report to you in the best way you can. The thing is that this is expected of you, no matter what may be happening in the workplace at any given time. It might be nice to be on top when your team achieves its quarterly goals, but that is only a very small part of the inevitably nuanced picture in every office. There are going to be low points as well.

One of the worst parts about any management role is having to be the bearer of bad news. Quite often, this involves decisions or moves that you were not even involved in, but you will still be the go-to person for your team when it comes to their worries and complaints. At its worst, it can be one of those moments that makes you wonder if the bump in paycheck is even worth it. No good supervisor will want to let down the employees that they supervise, but it is likely to happen sooner or later.

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  • businessman wearing glasses brings his hand to his forehead as he looks at his laptop screen
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • In this story, a middle manager who supervised a team in another country was left in a difficult position after being given some bad news by HR. His team had informed him that it was a public holiday in their country, and asked for permission to be able to take the time off from work.

    Unfortunately for them, HR decided that they would not be paid for any public holidays, as they were contractors hired by an agency. The time off would be deducted from their overall pay. This left the manager in an awkward situation, where he didn't want to break the news, but felt like he didn't have a choice.

  • HR just told me my team doesn't get paid for public holidays, and now I have to be the one to tell them.

    I'm in one of those classic middle- manager nightmares where there's no right answer and I'll come out as the bad guy no matter what.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • A few months ago, the company laid off a lot of people and brought in a lot of talent from abroad to save money, and I took over one of these new teams.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • It's starting to become clear that the company wasn't entirely truthful in all these arrangements. It might just be a major culture clash with the American corporate system, but something feels off.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • Anyway, my team informed me that there's an upcoming public holiday in their country, and they followed the correct procedure through their staffing agency.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • HR's response was almost immediate: 'They are contractors, they only get paid for the hours they log.' This means any time they take off, even for a public holiday, is unpaid.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • It's deducted directly from their salary. Look, I understand that rules are rules, but this was never explained to them, or even to me personally, when we started.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • So now I'm stuck not knowing what to do. Do I go back and tell them that the day off I already approved is unpaid?
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • Or do I just look the other way this one time? Honestly, no one is really tracking the day-to- day work of our team anyway.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • The thing that's driving me crazy is that if my team hadn't been proactive and tried to do the right thing by officially reporting the holiday, none of us would have known anything.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • HR wouldn't have cared, I wouldn't have known, and they would have just taken the day off.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • I feel like they're being punished for being responsible. I mentioned an international staffing. agency, which means they're not actually my employees, they're employed by the agency.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • That also means the agency has to follow their own country's labour laws, not mine. Recruitment companies are the worst in general, and I know they have the right to that leave.
    via cobble_thirds_9x
  • top down view of seven coworkers standing together and looking upwards behind a desk with a couple of laptops on it
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Other Technician Ask HR to provide a written notice to give to the team. Tell HR you want to make sure the correct message is communicated Edited: fixed a typo
    via OtherTechnician
  • warlocktx if they're contractors hired through an agency this should not be a surprise to them
    via warlocktx
  • repthe732 Why are you explaining this at all? It sounds like you're using an offshore firm for this so the offshore firm that was contracted should be explaining it since they're the ones actually paying these people. Your firm pays the offshore firm and the the offshore firm pays its employees
    via repthe732
  • PNW_OILady_2025 Contractors have always, universally, only gotten paid for the hours they work. Why is this a surprise to them? Also, is this a US Company operating on US land? Why would any US company be obligated to offer paid holidays for days that are not holidays here? They aren't. It's up to the individual to prepare financially to have that day off, not the company's.
    via PNW_OlLady_2025
  • k23_k23 "Look, I understand that rules are rules, but this was never explained to them, or even to me personally, when we started. " .. that's on you and them. "They are contractors, they only get paid for the hours they log." this is reasonable, and universal.
    via k23_k23
  • NorthernPossibility Absolutely don't "look the other way". That will only reflect poorly on you. HR will be upset that you violated the policy and the employees will likely come to expect the "looking the other way" while continuing to not understand the policy.
    via NorthernPossibility
  • Glum-Ad7611 If they are hired through staffing agency, the staffing agency often manages holidays and holiday pay. It'll be in their contract. If hired directly, HR needs to provide you with a copy of each contract. Please note that often 4% holiday pay is added for non full time employees. Contractors (if that's true) are different and it goes by the contract. You need that contract.
    via Glum-Ad7611
  • mikemojc Communicate that to the members of your team, and let your team know they can reach out to HR with any follow up questions. this is a straight up schedule and compensation question.
    via mikemojc

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employee manager work coworkers abroad workplace holidays vacation
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